Synopses & Reviews
In this best-selling text, Mike Schneider and Judy Gersting unify and lend relevance to the topics of computer science within their proven framework of a six-layer hierarchy of abstractions. The authors begin by showing that computer science is the study of algorithms, which is the central theme of the book, then move up the next five levels of the hierarchy: hardware, virtual machine, software, applications, and ethics. Each layer in the hierarchy builds upon the ideas and concepts presented in earlier chapters. In addition to some motivational applications such as Web page design and interactive graphics, the book covers the fundamental issues of algorithms, hardware design, computer organization, system software, language models, theory of computation, and social and ethical issues of computing. Exposure to these deeper and more complex core ideas introduces students to the richness and beauty of the field and helps them appreciate the principles behind their creation and implementation. While feeling the excitement of computer science, students receive a solid grounding in the central concepts as well as in important uses of computing and information technology.
Review
"This text has many features that make it unique--its breadth and the "leveled" organization. The language is very lucid, though never condescending, (and) the exercises and labs...spark a lot of enthusiasm in student(s)."
Synopsis
This new edition of Invitation to Computer Science follows the breadth-first guidelines recommended by CC2001 to teach computer science topics from the ground up.
About the Author
G. Michael Schneider is Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota and a Visiting Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University in New York. His interests include parallel processing, computer networks, and computer science education. He has written textbooks on software development, data structures, computer organization, and a breadth-first overview of computer science and was a member of the committee that authored the ACM/IEEE Computing Curriculum 2001. He has received Fulbright Grants to teach and do computer science curriculum development in Mauritius, Malaysia, Nepal, and Mongolia.Judith Gersting is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Hawaii, Hilo. She is also the department chair and has written a number of college textbooks. Her areas of specialization include theoretical computer science and computer science education.
Table of Contents
1. An Introduction to Computer Science Level 1: The Algorithmic Foundations of Computer Science 2. Algorithm Discovery and Design 3. The Efficiency of Algorithms Level 2: The Hardware World 4. The Building Blocks: Binary Numbers, Boolean Logic, and Gates 5. Computer Systems Organization Level 3: The Virtual Machine 6. An Introduction to System Software and Virtual Machines 7. Computer Networks, the Internet, and the World Level 4: The Software World 8. Introduction to High-Level Language Programming 9. The Tower of Babel 10. Compilers and Language Translation 11. Models of Computation Level 5: Applications 12. Simulation and Modeling 13. Electronic Commerce and Information Security 14. Artificial Intelligence Level 6: Social Issues in Computing 15. Making Decisions about Computers, Information, and Society